Musical toy.



W. A. GAY. MUSICAL TOY. APPLICATION rum) MAB.24,1913.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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WITNESSES W. A. GAY.

MUSICAL TOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1913. 1 089 699 Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

v 2 SKEBTS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR I WITNESSES 1w fl amrran STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ALFRED GAY, .01 NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

MUSICAL TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed larch 24; .1913. Serial No. 756,377.

' I tion; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section showing one form of my invention; Fig. 4 1s a plan view showing a modificat on; Fig. 5 1s a longitudinal section showing another modification; and Fig. 6 is a section on the line VIVI of Fig. 5.

My invention relates to an improvement in music-a1 toys of that class in which a number of rods or wires representing a musical scale or parts of the same are vibrated by.

suitable striking fingers or clappers.

The object of my invention is to provide a toy of this character, which will not only be attractive and pleasing, but which can be constructed at a very small cost.

My invention may have any one of a number of different forms, some of which I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which will now bedescribed, it being premised, however that it is susceptible of various other modifications Within the scope of the appended claims.

In that form of my invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the numeral 2 designates a casing shown as being of similar form to a piano casing. 3 designatesa number of wires or rods supported in the lower portion of the case by driving them into a base 4, from which they project. The rods are otherwise unsupported and are free to vibrate. 5 designates a rotary shaft which may be actuated by a hand crank 6 and WhlCh carries a number of radial projections 7, which, as the shaft is rotated are adapted to successively contact with a vibrator 8. This vibrator is pivoted at 9 and has suspended therefrom two striking fingers or clappers 10. 11 is a leaf spring which is secured to the vibrator 8, and which projects for contact with a suitable stop 12, secured in the casing. The fingers or clappers 10 are flexibly suspended from the vibrator so as to be capable not onl of an u and down movement, but also 0 a latera swinging movement, as indicated in Fig. 3. In this manner, they are made to sweep over a number of the wires or rods in succession, giv- 1ng forth a succession of musical notes. The base in which the rods or wires are secured is preferably of hard wood, so as to be of a high degree of resonance. The case is also preferably constructed of wood and acts as a sounding box. By a proper adjustment of the fingers or clappers, each double stroke will vibrate the same number of wires so that the harmonies of a musical scale are sounded as the device is operated.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the application of my invention to a wheeled toy. This form Patented Mar. 10,1914.

consists of a box or casing 13, mounted upon the four wheels'l i. 15 designates the series of wires or rods which are secured in one end of the casing. 16 is a vibrator which is pivoted on the vertical axis 17 to oscillate in a horizontal plane. A striking finger or clapper is suspended at 18 from each corner of the free end portion of the vibrator. These fingers or cl appers are similar to those first described. The vibrator is actuated by a pitman 19, connected to the vibrator at the corner portion thereof, opposite the pivot 17,

and also connected to a crank 20 in one of the wheel axles 21.

In Figs. 5 and 6, I have shown another embodiment of my invention, in which the rods or wires 22 are arranged in circular form within a cylindrical drum-like casing 23, which can be rolled along the floor or other surface. 24 is a wire placed loosely around an internal shaft 25 of the drum and having a striking finger or clapper 26, suspended from each end portion thereof. As the drum is rolled, the striking fingers will successively contact with two separate wires at each double stroke. The casin 24 is preferably constructed of hard wood, as in the other forms, so as to increase the resonance efi'ect. By arranging the striking fingers at the right distance from each other with the wires of the musical scale so spaced and adjusted that they can successively contact with all of the wires, two at a time, harmonies will be produced which will be snatches of simple musical melodies, sometimes two entire bars of a popular tune being sounded. In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the rotation of the drum will cause the wires to pass successively under the strikers and simultaneously receive a stroke from one striker upon one wire and a stroke from another striker upon a second wire. The use of two striking fingers in conjunction with a proper arrangement and adjustment of the wires permits of the production of a continuous succession of harmonies, as distinguished from melodies. This, in so far as I am aware, is entirel new in toys of the general type. It wil be obvious that my invention may take a variety of other forms. Hence, I do not wish to limit myself to the particular embodiments thereof which I have shown and described.

I claim:

- 1. A musical toy, com rising a sounding box, a series of metal ro s or wires fixed to a wall of said box and representing at least a portion of a musical scale, and a pair of striking fingers adjusted with respect to each other and with respect to the Wires or rods to simultaneously strike two different Wires or rods and thereby produce a succession of harmonies, and means for actuatin said fingers and for movin them relatively to the wires or rods where y each finger is caused to strike the Wires or rods in succession; substantially as described.

2. A musical toy, comprising a soundin box having at least one of its ends of bar wood, a series of metal wires representing at least a portion of a musical scale and secured to the hard wood end of said box, a plurality of loosely suspended striking fingers adjusted with reference to said wires and with reference to each other to simultaneously strike different Wires and thereby produce a succession of harmonies, and means for actuating said fingers and for moving them relativeiyto the wires or rods whereby each finger is caused to strike the wires or rods in succession; substantially as described.

3 A musical toy, compri a series of vibratory rods or wires, an inc osin case in which said rods are secured a mova le member having a plurality of dangling striking fin ers arranged to simultaneously strike dif erent rods or wires, and a rotary shaft for actuatin the said fin ers and for moving them re atively to t e wires or rods whereby each finger is caused to strike-the wires or rods in succession; substantially as described.

4. A musical toy, comprising a series of vibratory rods driven into the inner surface of a hard wood base, an inclosing case of which the hard wood base is one of the sides, a pivoted arm provided at one end with a plurality of dangling striking fingers, and shaft means for transmitting motlon from the axle to the pivoted arm, substantially as described.

WILLIAM ALFRED GAY.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL WALKER, I FLORENCE H. HAINS. 

